Manufacturing

Background

The Manufacturing Industry would greatly benefit from new and improved ways to ensure safety at manufacturing plants and within the quality of products produced. Better ways are needed for quality assurance and for the detection of adulterations and the use of additives. UNF Sensor technologies represent a breakthrough in these areas by providing a platform that can re-define the way these processes occur.

Potential UNF Sensor Applications

UNF manufacturing sensor applications are varied and numerous. In addition to the potential uses listed below, contact us to learn how UNF sensor technology can be tailored to meet your particular needs.

Safety and Health

Detection of chemical leakages from gases or vapors within transportation containers.

Quality Assurance

Monitoring transportation of bulk goods and products from manufacturing plant to destination and identification of products (produce, fish, meats) that have been damaged during transport by viral infection or bacterial growth.

Adulteration and Additives

Monitoring and detection of use of additives and adulterations to ensure established standards are maintained.

Rapid and efficient testing of gasoline and diesel fuel quality through continuous monitoring, portable, low cost and easy-to-operate sensor systems and in automobiles for instant, accurate information about the quality of purchased gasoline.

Sensor Technology Overview

UNF researchers have developed four types of advanced sensor technologies: two of which employ the use of next-generation nanocrystalline thin-film layers (oxide semi-conductive gas and enhanced quartz crystal microbalance sensors); one that is the first in its field (photoelectric chemical sensors); and one that has highly developed microbial sensing capabilities (photoelectric microbe sensors). All are patented or patent-pending and all are component-based, multi-functional platform technologies.

Nanocrystalline Enhanced Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensors (NCQCM)

UNF NCQCM sensors are electronic "e-noses," or devices that can learn to recognize many mixtures or combination of mixtures and are capable of mimicking the human senses of smell and taste. This innovative technology can categorize and identify mixtures, and then determine the brand and if the brand fits within the standards of quality. UNF NCQCM sensors are patent-pending and, when used orthogonally with the UNF oxide semi-conductive gas sensors, provide an even higher level of superior selectivity and sensitivity. UNF NCQCM sensors are customizable and can be configured to detect a wide range of analytes and have been tested with over 160 mixtures including alcohol beverages (individual types and brands), teas (brands), marker pens (brands), vapors, food and fruit products, explosive materials, petroleum fuels, adulterated fuels, alkenes, volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, ketones, and esters. See the detailed list of detected analytes. The sensors work at room temperature; the response time of the sensors is in near real-time.

Nanocrystalline Oxide Semi-Conductive Gas Sensors (NOS)

UNF Nanocrystalline Oxide Semi-Conductive Gas Sensors have been configured to detect numerous mixtures, including industrial toxic chemicals, chemical warfare agents, explosive materials, gases/vapors, and volatile organic compounds (VOC). See the a detailed list of detected analytes. These sensors have increased sensitivity and can detect chemicals in the parts per million ranges, with some chemicals in the parts per billion ranges. UNF gas sensors can continuously operate on battery power due to their low power requirements, and under many conditions, they do not require a heater to operate.

Photoelectric Chemical Sensors (PECS)

UNF Photoelectric Chemical Sensors can be "taught" to identify many chemicals. To date, PECS have been configured to identify over 90 chemicals. See the detailed list of detected analytes. This technology is an updated and enhanced version of colorimetric sensors. PECS have multiple independent channels each capable of detecting different chemicals in near real-time using microprocessor-based embedded systems, outputting the sensed data in multiple digital formats. In addition, this technology's small size makes it very convenient and highly portable.

Photoelectric Microbe Sensors (PEMS)

UNF Photoelectric Microbe Sensors are a multi-functional sensor recognition platform that detects a very wide range of microbes (both viruses and bacteria) with a single device. PEMS have multiple independent channels each capable of detecting different microbes in near-real time using microprocessor-based embedded systems. UNF PEMS result in a dramatic reduction of time, labor, and cost needed to detect and identify microbes. In addition, PEMS sensors can be combined with PECS to sense both chemicals and microbes simultaneously.

Contact Information

Interested? Find out more by contacting Rosalyn Gilbert at the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, e-mail rgilbert@unf.edu or call (904) 620-2352.